POSTURE
“The key to start to appear more attractive and confident is not a small incision and a high powered hoover nor the current trend of breast augmentation surgery but something that commands power & respect and exudes confidence & high self-esteem. Sit up straight and wait for it, POSTURE!!!“
Posture is the beginning and end of all movement, so it is important to sort out at the start of your exercise regime, so that you are loading up good movements, with the least amount of strain on supporting structures, rather than encouraging further imbalances which will place undue stress on your bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. It is necessary to have flexibility, strength and stability around each joint as posture reflects the arrangement of one body part to the next and ideal posture will be reached where the body functions most efficiently!
What is posture? It’s a habit, developed by repeating movements and patterns over time.
Posture guidelines – Stance
- Stance affects musculoskeletal integrity.
- It creates a closed kinetic chain among the 4 main support systems: Feet, pelvis, torso and cervical region.
- Forces are transmitted between “links”; pathologies in one region can instigate problems elsewhere.
- Perfect posture is the state of muscular and skeletal balance.
- Perfect posture provides optimum mobility and function.
- Poor posture allows the body to give into external forces, compromising function and predisposing the body to physical problems.
1. Effects of footwear on posture
When wearing heels, the gastrocnemius/soleus complex is tightened (in plantar flexion) in an attempt to maintain balance and to maintain body weight over the base of support.
This normally leads to hyperextension of the knees, which can then lead to exaggerated spinal curvatures (upper and lower cross syndrome).
It is recommended that flat shoes are worn or wearing high-heeled shoes are minimised.
2. Postural effects on breast tissue in women
A rounded shoulder position will allow breast tissue to be further influenced by gravity. Correction of shoulder girdle position can greatly affect the shape and general aesthetics of the breasts.
This becomes even more important for prescribing exercise when a lady is considering breast implants or already has them due to the extra weight. Corrective exercise for a rounder shoulder posture is highly recommended.
3. Q angle
To allow childbirth, females have wider hips than men.
The angle from the greater trochanter to the knee joint is known as the Q angle.
A greater Q angle is associated with a number of orthopaedic conditions. These include:
– ITB syndrome
– Pronation syndrome
– Laterally tracking patella
– Anterior pelvic tilt
– Any over pronation injury
4. Survival and hormonal and lifestyle factors
During puberty, the gluteus medius in females weakens to create a ‘wiggle’ during gait to attract a potential male mate.
A weakness to gluteus medius can also be cause when a mother holds their baby predominantly on one hip due to the constant stretching.
Faulty motor patterns can be created due to these factors and if a lack of exercise is carried out post puberty and/or pregnancy, the weakness will remain. With weak gluteus medius, there is a tendency to hang off tendons and ligaments. This stabilizer dysfunction will cascade through the kinetic chain.